High court upholds horse owner Bruce Bona’s animal cruelty conviction

VERMONT -- The state’s highest court has upheld a jury conviction for a Lyndon man charged with animal cruelty after police found dead and emaciated horses on his property.

Bruce Bona was charged with 21 counts of animal cruelty last year after horses were found neglected and lacking proper food and water on his ranch.

Authorities say some of the horses were reportedly near death and were standing in over a foot of manure. At least three horses were found dead on the property, covered up with debris.

 

  

 

The horses were so hungry they were eating the wooden fencing.

Bona was convicted on 17 of the counts in Caledonia Superior Court and was later sentenced to spend 15 days in prison as part of a suspended sentence of 20 months to five years.

The 65-year-old must also pay more than $22,000 in restitution. He has not begun serving his sentence due to the pending appeal.

A panel of Justices affirmed Bona’s conviction on Wednesday.

(Rutland Herald - Oct 3, 2015)

Earlier:

• Horses seized from Lyndonville farm
• Horse owner, Bruce Bona, 64, convicted of animal cruelty